Archive for the ‘Purity’ Category

This is a guest post written by Jeremy Hall, Student Pastor at Bannockburn Baptist Church.

Purity in My Family

As a parent, the issue of purity is always present in my mind because it is my heart’s desire to see my children live a life of purity. I have seen the consequences of impurity in our society and I cannot bear the thought of the ones I love experiencing these consequences. I trust that every parent has the same passion for their children; but there is a problem if this is my ultimate goal for my kids. When I worry about what my kids are doing and what can happen if they involve themselves in a particular activity or mindset, I run the risk of trying to manage their sin. But, when I focus on who my children are becoming, my focus shifts to encourage their character, devotion and heart. This shift sounds minor, but if we focus on our kids’ actions over their growth in knowledge of and passion for Jesus Christ, we have begun to train modern day Pharisees (the same group that Jesus called a “brood of vipers” amongst other things.)

My child’s level of purity can be an indicator of his or her heart and should be utilized as a tool in their lives to help them direct their affections. In fact, 1 John 2:4-6 states, “Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” However, I must be careful to not use their actions as the only indicator that they are living a holy life; they may simply be obedient children whose heart is far from God.

In my life, my family, and within our ministry we have defined purity as “God’s best for His children.” My desire is for my children to choose a life of purity because they believe that God knows what He is talking about. His commands are meant to be kept because they represent the best for their lives. Once my children come to this point of choosing purity, my goal and job as a parent is to prepare them for the temptations that will come by helping them guard their hearts (Proverbs 4:23).

Children are such a blessing from God. I am so thankful that God has entrusted me to raise these precious gifts and I pray that I will show myself faithful in leading them to a life that glorifies Him.